Product obtained from cellulose and the process for its manufacture.



"UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE'.

MAURICE- GASTON OLIVIER,

or PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR T socinrn FRANOAISE DE LA VISCOSE, OF PARIS, FRANCE. PRODUCTTOBTAINED FROM CELLULOSE AND THE PROCESS FOR ITS MANUFACTllllE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17-, 1906..

Application filed January 18,1906. 'Serial N61 296,655.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAURICE GASTON OLIvIER, engineer, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at Paris, Department of the Seine, France, (whose post-oilice address is. Rue Auber, in the said city,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Products Obtained from Cellulose and in the Processes for Their Manufacture, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object a new industrial product and a process for its manu- I feature.

The product is obtained from cel lulose.

Hitherto all attempts to obtain such cellulose products have been made with viscose; but the results have been unsatisfactory, it being difficult to obtain a-homogeneous mixture as regards 'quality and structure, owing to the unequal fixation of the cellulose and for other reasons to be explained below. These products invariably contained holes 'or cavities throughout the mass, varied in density. and resistance, and were subject to deformations rendering the raw material of little practical value.

According to the old methods the Xanthate was dissolved inwater, say, to aten-per-cent.

so-called viscose and allowed to form under the influence of heat a loosecoagulum subject to enormous shrinkage on drying- The product was brittle, incapable of being molded, destructive to tools, &c. To avoid these defects and inconveniences and in order to obtain a material easily molded and turned in the lathe, assuming a fine polish, presenting no cavities or other structural defects, and subject to relatively slight deformation by shrinkage on drying, it is necessary to operate as follows:

The alkali-cellulose istrcated in the usual I way by carbon bisullid. The xanthate thus two at the ordinary temperature.

obtained is allowed to mature for a day or It is then, without any addition of water, ground for about half an hour in the cold between cylinders until the granular mass has become perfectly smooth and continuous. It is then removed from the cylinders and allowed to stand'for about twenty-fcur hours. The

Xanthate thus obtained, which is still soluble, not coagulated, is then passed through a helicoidal sausage-machine, in'which it is compressed to a perfectly homogeneous mass.

This compressed mass on issuing from the machine is received intd suitable tubes or molds, in which the cellulose is fixed or regenerated, still under pressure, in an ordi nary drying room at30-fo1'- a period of from twenty-four to thirty-six hours. It'is then thoroughly washed in water and dried in a stove. The material thus obtained possessing absolute homogeneity, uniform density, without holes or other blemishes can then be molded and yields a perfect linished product. v

The process permits cf the cellulose being dyed in various colors and of the incorpcration of inert matter, so as to produce agglomerates of any desired aspect and composition.

I now desire to point out in greater detail the essential differences between the old process and the mothods'which characterize the invention.

According to the old methods the cellulose Xanthate was dissolved, say, to a ten-per-cent. viscose and this solution allowed to' coagulate in molds under the influence of heat.

This loose coagulum after washing was hung up to' dry and yielded after enormous shrinkage a brittle mass with many cavities very difiicult to turn and of little commercial value.

According to the new method the Xanthate is at once ground to a smooth and continuous mass or paste, subjected to pressure in a sausage or other suitable machine producing pressure, and, made to coagulate in suitable molds still under pressure. By the combined effect of the grinding, the compressing, and the coagulating under pressure the cavities due to air and carbon bisulfid bubbles are got rid of and a substance obtained l which is perfectly homogeneous, highly resistant, possessing great toughness, and capable of being easily turned and molded.

Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my invention and in what manner the same may be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. A process of obtaining a product formed of cellulose consisting in grinding the Xanthate in a soluble and non-coagulated condition to a smooth and plastic mass without the addition of water, subjecting this prodnot to compression, disposing the material thus further treated in suitable holding devices orniolds in which the x'anthate is decomfpiplsed and the cellulose regenerated,

g the? decomposed Xanthate and regenerated cellulose With Water, dr 'ng the same after washing, and finally mo ding the dried roduct.

2. process of obtaining a product formed I of cellulose consisting in grinding the 2mm thate in a soluble and non-coagulated condition without the addition of water to pro duce a smooth and continuous mass of paste,

- subjecting this mass to pressure-and further grindin and coagulating able mo ds under pressure.

3. A rocess of obtai 'ng a product formed the same in suitof cellu ose consistin in grinding, then comof cellulose consisting in grinding the Xanthate, then compressing and coagulating the Xanthate under pressure without the addipressing and coagu ating xanthate under 'pressure, washing the mass thus obtained,

and drying the same. i

4. A process of obtaining a product formed tion of water, the Xanthate being primarily in a soluble and non-coagulated condition,

washing and drying the mass, and finally molding the substance thus obtained.

5'. An improved industrial cellulose product consisting of a soluble and non-coagulated xanthate ground, and then compressed and coagulated under pressure 6. The process of treating Xanth-ate of cellulose, which consists in grinding the Xanthate in a soluble and non-coagulated condition to a homogeneous, plastic mass, and 

